


It's All In the Tone

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Act 4 Scene 14 Rewrite, F/M, M/M, and only in the context it actually exists in the scene, anyway, cursed child spoilers, i mean that whole scene was very one sided relationships, scorpius/rose is like. very subtle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 05:23:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7671736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scorpius is excited that he asked out Rose. Albus is excited she said no.</p>
<p>(A sort-of 4x14 rewrite that just adds more details to improve cursed child because let's be honest, it could've been gayer. Complete with a terrible title and summary. Albus' POV)</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's All In the Tone

**Author's Note:**

> harry! isnt'! white! so neither is albus! and u know what astoria doesn't have to be white either so heck you whitewashing and general white-normativity in media

Albus feels really bad. Okay, well, he  _doesn't_ feel bad. In fact, he's absolutely delighted. And, because of that he does feel bad. Wow, aren't emotions a great thing to have?

He's barely slammed the door shut when Scorpius speaks up. "I can't quite believe I just did that," he laughs, collapsing into the nearest seat. "I can't quite believe you did that either," Albus replies.  _I guess it was only a matter of time though._ He sits down too.

"Rose Granger-Weasley. I asked out Rose Granger-Weasley." Scorpius still sounds stunned. "And she said no," Albus reminds him. He tries - he doesn't think it's very effective, but he tries - not to sound any happier about that than anything. "But I asked her," Scorpius insists. "I planted the acorn. The acorn that will grow into our eventual marriage."

Albus wants to tell him that's utter bullshit. "You are aware that you're an utter fantasist," he says instead, crossing his arms. Scorpius struggles to sit up. "And I'd agree with you-" Scorpius starts. He looks pointedly at Albus. "Only Polly Chapman did ask me to the school ball..." Albus rolls his eyes. "In an alternate reality where you were significantly - really significantly more popular - a different girl," he winces, "asked you out - and that means-"

"And yes," Scorpius interrupts, "logic would dictate I should be pursuing Polly - or allowing her to pursue me - she's a notorious beauty, after all - but a Rose is a Rose." Albus feels cold all of a sudden. Empty. He wants to scream at Scorpius - A rose may be a rose, but when you pick it, it's only a matter of time before it wilts. A rose is something that you can enjoy for a little while, but a rose doesn't last. "You know logic would dictate that you're a freak?" Albus growls. "Rose hates you." He stops.  _And I should too. I want to. I want to. I can't. Why can't I hate you, Scorpius?_

"Correction, she used to hate me," Scorpius smiles as if Albus had said it jokingly. Albus can't help but be bothered by the fact that Scorpius seems to barely be paying any attention to him as he keeps talking. "But did you see the look in her eyes when I asked? That wasn't hate, that was pity." Albus thinks back, pretty sure the look on Rose's face had been somewhere between tired and annoyed. "And pity's good?" he asks. Scorpius leans over, putting a hand on Albus' shoulder. "Pity is a start, my friend, a foundation on which to build a palace - a palace of love."

Albus shrugs Scorpius' hand off.  _Perfect_ , he thinks.  _Cause I'm pretty damn pitiable right now._  "I honestly thought I'd be the first of us to get a girlfriend," he mutters. It's true - he doesn't really give two shits about getting a girlfriend, never has, but he still always expected he'd cave to someone who asked him out at some point or another. As compensation, he always thought it'd end up being, for the person who he's always held out hope would like him. He guesses he was right all along. 

"Oh, you will, undoubtedly, probably that new smoky-eyed Potions professor - she's old enough for you, right?" Scorpius jokes, interrupting his thoughts. Albus is kind of glad for the distraction - he was getting broody, wasn't he? "I don't have a thing about older women!" he laughs - actually laughs, that's nice. And it's true, he doesn't have a thing about older women. The funny part's that he hasn't got a thing for any women. "And you've got time - a lot of time - to seduce her," Scorpius says with a little wiggle of his eyebrows. Albus hides his eyes behind his hands, his disappointment almost forgotten. "Because Rose is going to take years to persuade."

Albus waits a moment, and when Scorpius doesn't say anything else, he lowers his arms. As soon as he does, Scorpius wiggles his eyebrows again. "I admire your confidence," Albus manages to get out through his laughter.  _And just about every other thing about you._

The sound of footsteps from the steps across the room get both Albus and Scorpius' attention. They realize at the same time that the empty classroom they've been sitting in with the door closed has a staircase going straight through it. 

_Fucking Hogwarts and its architectural plotholes,_ Albus thinks. 

"Hi," Rose says, looking between them. Albus has no idea what to say. Hello, please never date my best friend because I like him? Hey there, Rose, we were just talking about you? Hi, I now have a deep-set grudge against you and I don't know how to get rid of it? Hiya, dear sweet cousin? He guesses that Scorpius is in a similar position based on his silence.

"This is only going to be weird if you let it be weird," she promises, probably more to Scorpius. Albus can't help but wonder if she knows, somehow, that he needed that reminder just as much - probably more.

"Received and entirely understood," Scorpius says with a stiff nod and an exaggerated salute, and he stands up so fast Albus snorts with laughter. His lip twitches and Albus just  _knows_ he's restraining himself from saying ''ma'am'' at the end.

Rose rolls her eyes. "Okay. 'Scorpion King,'" she says with a smile, and continues on the way she was going. Albus looks at Scorpius, and he can't help but grin. Rose won't be caving any time soon, he knows she won't. He stands, punching Scorpius on the arm.

"Maybe you're right - pity is a start."

Scorpius smiles. "Are you heading to Quidditch?" he asks, "Slytherin are playing Hufflepuff - it's a big one-"

Albus wonders what's gotten into him. "I thought we hated Quidditch?" He doesn't really hate it, hasn't for a while, but hating Quidditch is their  _thing._

Scorpius shrugs. "People can change," he says, and the empty feeling comes back to fill Albus' chest. "Besides," Scorpius continues, "I've been practicing. I think I might make the team eventually. Come on."

Albus wills himself not to tear up. "I can't," he tells Scorpius. "My dad's arranged to come up-" Scorpius looks confused. "He's taking time away from the Ministry?" he asks, surprised. Albus shrugs and looks away. "He wants to go on a walk - something to show me - share with me - something."

"A walk?"

"I know," Albus says. He still feels like crying, but he forces a laugh into his words. "I think it's a bonding thing or something similarly vomit-inducing. Still, you know, I think I'll go."

Before Albus really knows what's happening, Scorpius is hugging him. His face feels hot, and he's glad he got his dad's complexion - not that it's dark enough to hide a blush  _that_  well. "What's this?" he asks. "I thought we decided we don't hug." It's nice, really nice, but he still can't appreciate it, not when he knows Scorpius is still into Rose.

"I wasn't sure," Scorpius answers. "Whether we should. In this new version of us - I had in my head." Albus isn't sure either. "Better ask Rose if it's the right thing to do," he says. There's venom in his voice and he doesn't know if he's okay with it.

"Ha!" Scorpius scoffs. "Yeah. Right." He steps back, and Albus taps his fingers on the desk to distract himself from the fact that he's not touching Scorpius anymore. Still, Scorpius grins at him, and Albus believes that face could cheer anyone up. He returns the smile, walking towards the stairs since, for some godforsaken reason, the door they entered through is no longer there.

"I'll see you at dinner," he promises.

**Author's Note:**

> anyway this was just a quick little interpretation of how I saw that scene! comments are much appreciated :)


End file.
